Aberdeen Council’s leader has said she will not be contesting the upcoming council elections in May.
Jenny Laing, who is the leader of the Labour group on the local authority, said she will remain as the council leader until the election is called.
Mrs Laing said she was standing down as she wants to spend more time with her family.
She said: “I have thought long and hard about this and after much soul-searching I have decided that now is the right time to leave local politics.
“Representing the people of the Midstocket and Rosemount ward for the last 15 years and leading the Labour group and Aberdeen City Council for the last eight years has provided me with some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
“I will be eternally grateful to all those who made that happen.”
‘High and low points’
She continued: “Throughout my time on Aberdeen City Council there have been both high and low points, but I am genuinely proud of all that we have achieved whilst in administration.”
She pointed to the successes of the last 10 years, she said: “The Labour-led administration has made huge investment in our regeneration areas.
“[We have] tackled food and fuel poverty head on, invested in 2,000 new council homes. Provided new schools, early learning, and community facilities.
She continued saying the council had: “…invested in the cultural fabric of the city by restoring and extending the art gallery, renovating Provost Skene House, building the new TECA complex and revamping the soon to be opened Union Terrace Gardens.”
She said: “After years of stagnation, we were able to move the city forward and put it on a solid financial footing despite the massive funding cuts to our budget by the Scottish Government.”
‘The time has come’
She added: “After eight years in the leadership role I feel the time has come to spend more time with my family.
“But I do so in the knowledge that the Labour-led administration has shaped the next five years and beyond by bring forward strategic plans that invest in both the people and place of Aberdeen that support communities, the economy and the environment.”